Author: Anna Plyler

The spring real estate market is up and running in Charlotte, NC. When preparing a home to market, don’t forget to spruce up your landscape this spring. Follow the tips below to draw buyers outside, no matter the size of the yard.

Clean Up!

Start by replacing mulch, trimming trees/bushes and weeding. Address any problem areas in the lawn by adding seed or sod to bare spots.

Create An Outdoor Lounge

Creating an outdoor lounge or dining area that is an extension of the home is always a draw to a listing. Adding an umbrella or pergola is another great way to define an outdoor lounging space or dining area. Lights or a hanging lantern could easily be added to enhance the coziness. Homes that have a sense of connectivity to the outdoors are very appealing to buyers. To ensure buyers are drawn outside create the space so it is easily accessible to indoor rooms like a family room or a kitchen. Creating an outdoor oasis can add substantial value to your home.

Don’t Forget Privacy

Decorative Options

Add A Little Rock

Jane Lemmond created a little zen garden off her deck in a weekend. She used gravel, stepping stones and a simple water feature.

A flagstone walk or patio is another great way to connect the home to the outdoor space. Lanier Landscaping in Charlotte has a great selection of stone and rock for all of your landscape projects.

Water Features Make A Splash

Adding simple water features and a hammock can be a nice touch. We would all like to nap on a hammock while listening to water sounds!

Bring the Indoors Outside

Colorful throw pillows, candles and music are simple ways to create a comfortable spot. Have space for a beverage cart or bar? Who doesn’t want to envision sitting on a deck sipping wine or a cocktail with friends or family. One of the quickest and easiest ways to enhance a deck or patio and define the space is to add a bright area rug. There are lots of inexpensive low maintenance options for outdoor rugs. “Last year I grabbed one at World Market for $20 and it is still going strong,” comments Jane Lemmond. Adding pots with bright and or fragrant plants is always an attractive and simple way to finish off any outdoor space.

An added benefit to living in North Carolina is being able to enjoy an outdoor area almost year round. Do you have any tips to add?

This property boasts stunning 90 mile views of Grandfather Mountain, Calloway Peak, Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest. The main home, an updated 1930s English Cotswold stone estate, retains its original character, but is updated for modern living. The kitchen level features Viking appliances, open dining, dining porch, and patio. The main floor includes a large living room with beautiful stone fireplace, library, two bedrooms, a full bathroom and expansive covered porch with breathtaking views. The upper level has two bedrooms, a sitting room, a full bath, and studio. The third floor features the master with en-suite bath, ample closets, and a sitting area. The restored caretaker’s cabin serves as a guest house or income-producing property. Adjacent to private conservation land, this property qualifies for conservation easements & agricultural tax credits.

Dickens Mitchener has launched a cutting-edge app that allows users to bring the power of Dickens Mitchener to their iPhone and Android.

Using the app, users are able to quickly view nearby rentals and homes for sale in seconds with just one click. They can jump to any location, including an employer, children’s schools or even other zip codes to see active listings in those areas. Then, they are able to filter the results to fit their needs. The app also allows users to easily save and share their favorite listings and searches and stay on top of market changes with notifications.

For more than two decades, Dickens Mitchener has been revolutionizing the real estate industry with its strategies on the home buying and selling process. It all began with a hunch that using basic tools like data management and marketing could simplify the client experience. The firm continues to evolve and stay current with the latest cutting-edge technologies to give its clients an advantage in the marketplace.

“The Dickens Mitchener app puts current market data at our clients’ fingertips, along with a hands-on experience throughout their home search,” says Vicky Mitchener, founder. “We’re excited about the impact this app will have on Charlotte and beyond.”

Since 1991, Dickens Mitchener has been redefining real estate throughout the Charlotte region. Committed to setting new standards for extraordinary customer service, Dickens Mitchener’s team of 95+ full-time agents uses its knowledge of market trends and innovative practices to consistently achieve client satisfaction and outstanding results. With over 6,000 available listings, Dickens Mitchener offers properties in Charlotte’s most sought-after neighborhoods, and its unique relocation team ensures that no matter where home happens to be, clients always have a neighborhood expert in their corner. Find out more at dickensmitchener.com.

Today we’re sharing our tips that were recently featured on Charlotte Stories for finding a deal in Charlotte’s real estate market, even as prices continue to increase and inventories remain low.

#1 Find A Well-Connected Buyer’s Agent

When real estate inventory is low, homes can often get bid up above their value, so the best deals can occasionally be found on homes that haven’t hit the market yet. Well-connected buyer’s agents are the key to finding these.

Agents who frequently co-list and network with other Realtors will be the first to hear of deals before they hit the market, and more seasoned agents will also receive more referrals and will often have their own “pocket listings” that you’ll likely be first to know about.

#2 Getting Creative With Terms

Buying a house involves more than just your purchase price. and sellers can sometimes prefer a lower-priced offer if another “term” is more important to them. The “terms” of a real estate contract include; price, earnest money, due diligence fee and time period, closing date, type of financing, inspections, etc.

“Several weeks ago, I was able to help a client purchase a home in Plaza Midwood that had four offers in the first 12 hours on market, knowing someone might come in with cash and my buyer was purchasing with a loan, I advised my client to waive their right for an appraisal and our offer won! Knowing the value and the market I knew the house was worth more than purchase price. Terms are often what can win you the deal even over price,” commented Realtor Cackie Morrow.

#3 Finding a Fixer-Upper

It’s obvious that homes needing more work can be purchased for less, but depending on the neighborhood, the type of work needed, and how significant it is, this is often where you can save the most.

You can save a ton of money in the long run on a home with major cosmetic issues and minor structural issues, compared to one with minor cosmetic issues and major structural issues.

According to Realtor Aubrey Grier, “Buying a home that needs lipstick is where a buyer can potentially find a deal. Charlotte’s current buyer wants move-in ready homes. They don’t even want to paint. It’s a huge change in trend from 10 to 15 years ago. Deals can still be found if a buyer is willing to do some work, because those homes are less desirable currently than in the past, but that is where money can be made in our market.”

We’re proud to announce that North Carolina was just ranked the top state in the U.S. for business, according to a study by Forbes!

The Tar Heel state was the only state to rank among the top 20 states in all six categories – business costs, labor supply, growth prospects, quality of life and from both regulatory and economic climate perspectives.

We’re excited to share that Charlotte was just ranked as one of top U.S. cities for young professionals!

With all of Charlotte’s job opportunities, entertainment, and things to do we aren’t surprised one bit. Participants in the study were asked to rate eight factors: growth opportunity, wages, benefits, work-life balance, career advancement, senior management, job security and if they’d recommend their job to others.

The national median home price recently surpassed its pre-recession peak – Charlotte included!

According to Real Estate Daily, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia is the 6th largest market with price appreciation since 2006. Specifically, our area had a 41.90% change in home prices from 2006-2016. To read the full article, click here.

Charlotte Ballet’s annual gala fundraiser – Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte – pairs stars from the community with the professional dancers of Charlotte Ballet. Each vote in the competition counts as one dollar raised, with proceeds benefitting Charlotte Ballet as well as the stars’ chosen charities.

This year we are excited to support John Culbertson, managing partner for Cardinal Real Estate partners LLC who will be dancing in memory of his sister Ruth Samuelson. He will be dancing with Charlotte Ballet’s Sarah Lapointe to benefit ovarian cancer research at Levine Cancer Institute.

When not doing deals or spending time with his family, you will likely find John cycling in Northern Michigan or Linville or on the Booty Loop, running with the men of F3, or skiing the steeps of Alta. As an entrepreneur and business owner, John is not afraid to take risks, including on the dance floor. Often the first one on and the last one off the dance floor at a wedding reception, John likes to think he’s a talented dancer, especially to Earth Wind and Fire. His formal dance training includes the Promenade of Charlotte, where as a middle schooler he was taught the fox trot and cha cha by the famed dance instructor, Bubba Gross.

This year the event will take place on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the Knight Theater at the Levine Center for the Arts. Tickets are on sale and selling fast. Purchase here.

The 2018 community stars, their chosen charities and their professional dance partners are:

Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, President of Central Piedmont Community College, Dancing with Charlotte Ballet’s James Kopecky to benefit The Opportunity Scholarship Program at Central Piedmont Community College.

As most of you remember, it was a little over a year ago when Hurricane Matthew devastated many areas of eastern North Carolina. There are many families who had no flood insurance and are still displaced. They have not been able to repair their homes so they can return to their properties.

Wayne Honeycutt in our Eastover office has agreed to help a couple of groups that are working to restore several of the properties. They are in need of kitchen and bath cabinets, tops, and fixtures. If you know of anyone who is remodeling and would like to see these items reused and repurposed, please let him know. He can take a quick look and see if they will work. If so, he can make arrangements to have them removed from the property and transported to the eastern part of the state. Hopefully this will help speed the process of restoring several properties.

The Mint Hill Fire Department donated their old kitchen when they remodeled and the group was able to finish one kitchen renovation in Eastern NC. See the pictures below! Thank you for keeping our neighbors in the Eastern part of NC in mind when you hear of a renovation this Spring.

This holiday season, the Dickens Mitchener team has hosted a coat drive to benefit Crisis Assistance Ministry. On Monday, December 18th at the South office, our team will celebrate the end of the coat drive from 4-6pm. This event is open to the public, so please join us and bring any new/gently used coats you may have to donate at the party.

Thank you to everyone who is participating. We hope everyone can make it! Happy Holidays from our Dickens Mitchener team!